This invention relates to method and apparatus for mechanically removing vegetable products or fruits such as tomatoes from their vines by employing a rotary, oscillatory motion, imparting angular acceleration and deceleration to the fruit as the vines are transported around an arcuate path.
The invention is not limited to tomato harvesting, but tomato harvesting well illustrates the problems involved.
Existing tomato harvesters employ essentially linear shaker beds which oscillate the vine back and forth, while at the same time conveying the vines from the front of the machine to the rear of the machine and discharging the stripped tomato vines off the back of the machine. In some harvesters the shaker beds are inclined, and detachment of the fruit occurs along the beds due to horizontal and vertical components of acceleration imparted to the fruit. In other harvesters the shakers are disposed horizontally and horizontal force components are relied on to detach the fruit from the vines. Both require a relatively long machine and have necessitated a relatively long radius of turning for the harvester.
These prior-art tomato harvesters have generally been used with plants especially bred for use in canning, some of which have been relatively easy to detach. However, some recent varieties of tomatoes have fruit that is relatively difficult to detach.
Among the objects of this invention are the following:
To provide a tomato-harvesting system in which the shaking operation is accomplished in a shorter distance than heretofore.
To impart a new type of action in which an imposition of oscillatory upon rotary motion imparts different combinations of vertical and horizontal motions varying from pure vertical to pure horizontal and in between, so as to change the effect of the shaking on the fruit.
To impart a shaking action which can readily be adjusted in amplitude as well as in frequency to give maximum results, that is, the best compromise between the amount of fruit removal and the protection of the fruit from damage.
To enable the deposit of the vines at any desired location, such as to one side of the row being harvested rather than at the rear of the machine, when such shifting is desired.
To enable the entry and leaving of the vine mass to be at various locations, depending on where the most desirable results are to be achieved.
Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description.